Navigating a 7-Year Career Gap in HR: How Can She Reignite Her Passion and Find Opportunities?

Hi All, :)

I have come across a female who is an MBA in HR with five years of experience in work life, including two years in core HR dealing with recruitments, performance appraisals, employee relations, etc. in an IT company. She stopped working once she got married :icon1:, leading to a gap of seven years in her work life. However, she remains passionate about HR work :-D; even today, no one can believe that this person is not working. She is excellent in her work. Family commitments and a change of place prevented her from taking up a job. But now, she wants to rejoin the industry at a different place from where she previously worked.

Now, how do you think she can get back to work with the same zeal, and what preparations are needed by her? Will she be welcomed in a company even after such a gap? What options are available to her? She still has excellent opportunities in her native place, but she cannot go back as she has to live at her husband's place. Therefore, she needs suggestions, comments, and any help you can offer.

Thanks and regards.

Sadhana:icon6:

Hi,

A gap is considered for a valid reason when one tends to forget the practical implementation of the domain into their work area. If that is checked, then I don't see any hassle of not considering anyone. Of course, current market awareness is also required as 7 years is a flat gap.

Samaresh

Hi Sadhana,

I agree with Samaresh. In addition, I think she should keep in touch with current HR trends through her old batch mates who are working, colleagues, and friends like you. She can also join Cite HR and seek solutions for her queries from people like us. Not for a long time, at least for a month before she joins a new company.

Hi Samaresh and Narendra,

I think you are right; she needs to be updated with what is going on in the current scenario of HR before thinking of attending interviews or joining an organization. Is there anything more she must do apart from this?

Sadhana

Good topic. I feel this is a situation where the importance of continuous education comes into prominence. If any particular individual is stuck due to family or other reasons and not able to carry out normal routines, what he/she is doing, I believe he or she can join a distance learning program of choice and keep themselves active during this period. This, along with interactions in forums like Cite HR, will keep them updated with what's happening around the world. I can give an example of a personal friend of mine who got implicated in a murder case and had to go for a longer jail term. He was a postgraduate in Commerce at the time he was punished. Through sheer determination, he studied LLB and LLM from jail and is now practicing as a leading advocate.

It all summarizes how one utilizes the gap. So, as was said earlier, please request your friend to join Cite HR, which will be the first step for her to fill the gap forever.

Regards, Ramesh Menon

I think this is a very common problem in the Indian situation. My wife also faced the same problem a few years back. All the interviewers are people like you and me and can understand such situations (may have faced one).

Tell her that gone days are gone, but that doesn't mean one forgets all the knowledge and experience acquired over those years. I would rather say that she has acquired another experience of 'Home Management'. Remember the golden rule, 'If you can do one thing, you can do another'. So tell her to apply for the job with zeal, face the interview with enthusiasm, and go to the job with confidence.